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MAUI SPEED CHALLENGE OFF TO AN EXCITING START

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MAUI SPEED CHALLENGE OFF TO AN EXCITING START

Maui, Hawaii (USA) – For the second year in a row, the Navman Maui Speed Challenge Series, presented by Naish Sails, is off to a competitive start on the North Shore of Maui. This year’s event is presented by Hawaii-based water sports giant Naish. Approximately 50 competitors of all ages and skill levels turned out on Sunday to have their speed sailing skill recorded on Navman’s Sport Tool GPS unit. “I’m stoked that so many people showed up and are interested in speed sailing and in trying out our gear, said Michi Schweiger, Naish’s Product Manager for Surfing and Windsurfing. In addition to providing prizes, Naish also offered competitors the opportunity to try out some of their cutting-edge windsurfing sails and boards. According to Schweiger, the event fits in nicely with Naish’s commitment to speed windsurfing. “We have speed sailing events in Japan, France, the UK, South America, and other places. It’s great to see a variety of ages out here competing on Maui.”

The top speed of the day was recorded by windsurfing legend Alex Aguera, who reached the impressive speed of 36.5 knots. Aguera was joined on the water by his daughter and wife, making the day at Kanaha Beach Park truly a family affair. “The conditions today were really good, but the high tide makes sailing really challenging,” noted Aguera. Also recording impressive speeds in the open division was Jaques Pauvert, who was in hot pursuit of Aguera throughout the day, and came in a very close second with an average speed of 35.47 knots. Former world record holder Erik Beale came in third in the division. Earlier in the week, Beale hosted a speed clinic to help competitors prepare for Sunday’s event. He was pleased with the results that his students were showing. “It’s great to see my students sailing faster than they have been,” Beale noted. “The kids are doing especially well; some of them have made gains of 3 knots or more!” Beale plans to hold another speed sailing clinic during the series.

The next generation of windsurfing legends also made an impressive showing at the event. Young waterman Kai Lenny led the pack with an average speed of 29.5 knots. Kalani Hunt and Nique Vetrimile came in second and third in the Youth division. The Super-Youth division, comprised of youth who weigh more than 100lbs, was won by Skyler Haywood, with Baker Grant and Jordan Reid rounding out the top three.

This year’s event drew more women, with six women competing in two categories. In the women’s division, Karla Aguera took top honors, with Ashley Baxter coming in second and Norah Hunter in third. Also showing an increased presence were the kiteboarders, who recorded incredible speeds while catching enormous air. The Richman brothers continued to show their dominance in the sport, with Shawn Richman coming in first, and his youger brother Jesse coming in third. Italian Alessio Marcelli celebrated his countrymen’s victory in the World Cup with a second place finish.

Once again the Master’s division proved to be a group of tough old guys. Michael Warmuth took the top spot, with Ted Hunter and Mike Yasak close behind. In the fun division, Ken Orth, Bill Kaser, and Tim Sawyer took the top three slots. Ken Orth did best his daughter Kristen, who competed in the Youth division, by a few knots, but she’s in hot pursuit! Mark Boersma came in first in the Men’s division with an average speed of 33.4 knots. Andy Church fared well in his first ever speed sailing competition, coming in second in the men’s division. “I’m hooked!” said Church, who said that prior to this event, he hadn’t competed in over a decade. Event director Marc Lefebvre came in third.

Overall, the day was fun and exciting for competitors and their families. The new location at Naish Beach proved perfect for excellent sailing conditions as well as spectators. Maui Sports Net was on hand to record all the action and the beautiful location. “We got some great shots of the competitors today,” said Robert Novoselic, who was the chief videographer for the event.

The next event in the Maui Speed Challenge Series will take place at Kanaha Beach Park on July 30, 2006.

EVENT INFORMATION:Dates for the Navman Maui Speed Challenge Series, presented by Naish Sails are July 9 and 30, August 13 and 27, and September 10 and 24, to be held from Naish Beach, near Kanaha Beach Park, between the Canoe Hale and Kite Beach. Each competitor will be provided with a Sport.Tool M300 GPS unit, provided by main sponsor Navman. The competition is open to the following categories: Open Class (in which those with specialized speed sailing equipment will compete), Men, Women, Masters, Youth, Fun and Kite.

This event series is part of the Naish Speed Party. Naish Windsurfing is proud to introduce the Naish Speed Party, a series of amateur speed events in locations all over the world. The first event is in Leucate, France – the Speed Party then heads to Miura, Japan followed by Kanaha, Maui and finally to Langebaan in South Africa. Keep checking for new information and possible additional events on the Naish Sails website. http://www.naishsails.com/

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